Silver Strings
by RealHuntress18
Summary: **Reboot to A Silver of Hope** During the raid of Hydra's biggest intelligence base, Tony comes across Hydra's best kept secret, Asset 11. Only, the team wasn't prepared to find out who she really was. This story follows Katherine Silver, a reluctant operative that had been imprisoned by Hydra for ten years. Katherine/?
1. Chapter 1

**It's new, I know and I haven't updated anything in months, but this is the reboot for A Silver of Hope. I really hated starting with Katherine in The Avengers. It's gonna take way too long to get to where I need her to be. Anywho, Katherine is mostly the same, but a little different because of the obvious change in storyline. Let me know how you feel. I'm already somewhat ahead in chapters so I'm posting every Monday starting next week.**

* * *

Silver Strings

Chapter One

 _There's a Silver Lining in All Things_

The evidence was clear. Both Tony and Bruce cracked the codes of this particular hard drive and everything pointed to a large Hydra base in Brussels, Belgium. According to their intel, the building housed labs and storage for weapons. It was a best kept secret what with being hidden in the mountains. The plan was simple. Thor and Tony fly over the base in search of guard towers and secret weapons bunkers, and when the front line is destroyed, the ground team gets deployed.

This was it, Brussels was the last known location of the sceptre.

As usual, Nat and Clint flew. Steve stood just beside the cockpit, staring into thin air, thoughts heavy and focused. He was a leader, and his stance was so. Tony flew ahead, giving them eyes in the sky about the remote base. Bruce was to stay in the quinjet as a back up. Code Green it was called. Otherwise, he was to be their makeshift medic. Thor was pensive and anxious. The priority to him had always been the sceptre. It was the entire reason that he had returned to Midgard. And once it was safe, he could once more return to his Jane.

"I can't help but feel like we're going all in on a hunch, Cap." Nat voiced her opinion.

"We can't risk losing that sceptre." Steve explained. "Or Strucker. He's been known to use the sceptre to enhance humans."

Nat sighed. She spotted the base up ahead. "Coming up on the left!"

"Get ready." Steve ordered. Steve looked to Thor, who nodded. Nat opened the large door and Thor swung his hammer up and flew off.

"Been born ready, Cap!" Clint exclaimed.

Unfortunately for the Avengers, both Strucker and the scepter had evacuated twenty-four hours earlier. But fortunately for them, they were just about to take down his biggest intelligence base, that held one of their best kept secrets, Asset 11.

"Dr. Burkov, ze Avengers!" the Hydra agent burst into the private lab.

"You know your orders. Hold zem off!" Burkov ordered, "No surrender!" The doctor pulled out several refrigerated DNA samples and serums. He loaded them onto a briefcase and looked back at one of Hydra's prized possessions. She rested in cryo-sleep for about a year and half since her last awakening. If it weren't for the blue tint in her skin, one could say that her sleep was entirely natural. Her mid-back chocolate-brown locks lay still against her shoulders and chest. Her eyes underneath her eyelids were still. Her light blue lips were parted, as if to take a soft breath. She remained dressed in her standard feminine Hydra issued suit. It was much too late to awaken her, and as much as it pained him to leave the Asset, he must take his samples and serums to Strucker at the base in Sokovia.

Besides, should the Avengers take Asset 11, she would never truly be theirs. Because Hydra is always one step ahead of their enemy.

~ _Silver Strings_ ~

" _Barton, I need you on the roof as my eyes and ears. Take out their back up. Thor, I need you and Nat on the ground in the east and west corridors of the facility. Stark you take the labs and find that sceptre. I'm heading to intelligence and grabbing everything on Strucker._ " Steve gave out his orders, and the Avengers dispersed quickly." _JARVIS, bird's eye view please?_ " The Captain asked, steering his motorcycle through the brisk Belgian air. Damn was it cold.

" _Heat signatures evacuating buildings from your right and straight ahead. As well as hidden weapons bunkers. Take caution._ " JARVIS advised.

" _Stark, for you the scepter is priority._ " Steve ordered. " _Nat, I need you and Clint on the ground. I've made about 30 guards so far._ "

" _Should be fun._ " Nat shrugged nonchalantly.

" _Guys, I'm picking up a high energy source and it's definitely not the scepter._ " Tony informed as he flew behind the building to the back entrance. " _JARVIS?_ "

" _I have detected the source to be in a large control room down the west corridor._ " JARVIS explained.

" _Still sounds like Christmas to me._ " He murmured, taking out a squadron of guards that burst out the door. " _Open sesame._ " Tony took the west wing hallway quickly. He was greeted by the brilliant sounds of a blaring alarm and scurrying doctors and alarms. Most doctors ran away empty handed. But one at the end of the hall, one doctor held a grey chrome suitcase. The way he urgently moved, you knew it was valuable. " _Oh no, you don't._ " As Dr. Burkov continued down the hall, he could hear that the dreaded Avengers had reached him.

"Guards. No surrender!" Dr. Burkov orders in romanian. About thirty more guards traipse their way toward Tony. "Oh, boy." Tony comments as guns started blazing. Tony dodges as many as he can, and shoots the ones closest to the doctor. " _Nat? I got a crazed doctor getting away with a suitcase. West Wing exit. I'm assuming they need that._ "

" _I'm on it._ " Nat called back, backtracking to the west wing staircase.

Tony dodged and blasted guards until there were none left but the ones crawling to safety. He'd deal with them later. The small touch screen inside the suit's right arm whirred and beeped. Tony swiped left, and floor plans disappeared, revealing a glowing red bar that shrunk or grew, depending upon the energy output levels obtained in the area. The higher the readings suggested, the louder the beeps got. Tony followed the readings down a hall; the direction that the fleeing doctor had come from. Stark paused, coming across a password protected steel door. Quite easy for JARVIS to access, why waste time breaking the door down.

"JARVIS?"

" _Bypassing the mainframe now, sir._ " The A.I. answered. In thirty seconds, the door was opened.

" _Guys?_ "

" _You've got eyes on the scepter?_ " asked Cap.

" _Not exactly._ " Stark paused as he stepped into the room fully. The lab wasn't the largest in the facility, but the significance was blaring. If not by the excessive amount of tech, then by the high energy cradle placed in the adjacent wall of the room. There was a slot of glass used to look into the cradle, but it was covered with frost. Unable to see through, Tony decided to alarm the rest of the team. " _I'm gonna need some backup. The source of power is unpredictable._ "

" _We're already on the way. The entire facility is clear._ " Cap answered.

Tony moved over to the computer, beginning to work on decoding the decryption algorithms he used to crack intelligence. It took a few minutes to bypass the mainframe once more, and just a few seconds to access their files. "Amateurs." He remarked. Suddenly, a file opened. _The_ file, the one created with the information of the cradle in the room.

The machine whirred to life.

" _File name: Asset 11_." The machine said. In that moment, the rest of the team filled the room.

"The scepter isn't here." Steve announced once more for Tony's sake. He stepped into the room first, and finally noticed the wall length computer that Tony was using.

"Kinda figured that out already." Tony answered distractedly as he searched for more information.

" _File name: Asset 11_." The machine said once more.

The red haired assassin said nothing. She shifted the suitcase from one hand to another, then moved across the room toward the cradle. The closer she got to the cradle, the lower the temperature.

"What is this thing?" Captain asked, with a tone of concerned curiosity.

"I'm guessing, _Asset 11_." Clint says, watching Nat's reaction to the chamber to their right.

"And I'm guessing that whatever _it_ is, is probably dangerous." Captain directed at Stark.

"Will it lead us to the scepter?" Thor spoke.

"Well according to her file, _she_ was apart of the experimentation used to enhance humans. A combination of her DNA and the scepter's energy." Tony answered him.

"It's probably a waste of our time then." Thor announced, leaving to stand outside.

"His highness certainly is moody today." Clint muttered, causing Nat to scoff at him.

Tony had read most of her file. Her abilities, the Assets she had also had a hand in giving abilities to, her awakenings, including the very day they had acquired her. She had no family information about her, or even her real name. It was as if Hydra thought her to be a possession, and not a human being. Unfortunately, Tony also noticed that she has a collection of confirmed kills over the course of ten years. A few foreign generals, a US senator, once she brought a whole hospital down in Nigeria to attempt an assassination of a king. And this information contrasted with the next. Her mind was a fortress, and other things that he'd have to get Bruce to look over. She's been known to escape Hydra and usually because a guard or doctor let her out, whether it was a compromisation or sympathy, the file never said. _I guess it's time to meet her,_ Tony thought, as he commenced the thawing sequence. The outer layer of the cradle hissed as it opened, causing Nat to step back defensively. The inner layer made it easier to see the occupant inside.

"Stark?" Nat asked warily.

"If I'm right, she hates Hydra as much as we do. Enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that..." Tony trailed off as the team moved closer to take a look at her.

The bluish tint to her skin corroborated with the fact that she had been under for a year and a half. Her lips were lighter than the rest is her skin. Her hair seemed to be long and chocolate brown and curled along the edges. Her eyelashes were long and almost barely touched her cheeks. She wasn't neither tall or short, she seemed to be around an inch or two taller than Nat, putting her at 5'6". She was curvy, but lacked the body mass to even be considered as bad of an assassin as her file claims her to be.

"Proceed with caution, guys." Nat says, with her hand on the glock in her holster.

The frost started to completely evacuate the chamber, and the woman's heart began to beat. Tony turned toward the woman, curious about the medical phenomenon that seemed to be locked in the cradle like a trophy. When Tony finally laid eyes on her, he was speechless, for one of the few times in his life. The unmistakable resemblance was uncanny. The nearly perfect olive toned skin, the light pink full lips, her thin body shape, the heart shaped face, the signature mid-back chocolate locks. It was unbelievable, and Tony could feel his heart beating frantically from the panic. How can this be real? How can someone fake these details? The scar under her chin from the time she fell off her bike as a kid? How can someone have known that?

" _Sir? Sir? Your vitals are suggesting that you are you in state of panic." JARVIS speaks up._

"Stark? What's wrong with you?" Natasha grew concerned for the Billionaire, who said nothing as he stared into the glass in shock.

"Stark? Do you know this woman?" Cap asked softly, seeing the look on the man's face.

Tony finally snapped out of it, "Get her out of there."

* * *

Now that she wasn't in cryo anymore, she was simply resting. The thaw of her vital organs was exhausting, and she'd need an extra day or two to wake herself up. While being asleep, she could feel the people around her, which she was used to. Doctors always crowded around her while she was asleep. But that didn't stop the feelings of familiarity. One of those voices were familiar, and she couldn't place it. She could feel the energies of the other bodies leave the room. She could feel that her body was restrained, and resisted the urge to struggle against them.

"Stark, when she wakes up, we want the truth." The man with the strong authoritative voice left the room. Her mind stilled at the name.

Stark.

 _Stark._

Why was the name foreign and familiar both at the same time? Why did the name make her want to recoil and reach out at the same time? Her memories were tampered with, that much she could feel. But what was real? What really happened and what was she being manipulated into thinking? Before she could continue the process, she felt soft words being spoken into her ear. "I need you to wake up, babygirl. I need some answers."

 _Babygirl?_

 _Babygirl?_

This _had_ to be the dark haired man. Only _he_ called her that. The one in her dreams who came to her graduations, sent her gifts, came to see her and tease her and annoy her relentlessly. He was family, but she couldn't tell in what way. She had to focus on recuperating and bringing her body back to one hundred percent, if only just to remember who this man was.

It took hours. Hours of sleep, dreams, then nightmares. Or better yet, different renditions of her guilt played in her mind. The nightmares were the same every night. Consistently.

Her parents, the very ones that were barely ever home. They haunted her every night in her dreams because they couldn't love her enough. At first she couldn't place the faces but her mind was trying to remember, and in turn bringing up her biggest insecurities. But then the nightmares got cruel and added the dark haired man to the hate fest. The one from her dreams that was always there to make her feel better. If he was really real, they _had to be_ close.

Tony remained in the room for the first six hours, then left to pick up Pepper from the airport, giving Cap specific directions on what to do if she woke up before he returned. When he did, Pepper entered the hospital room frantically, wanting to know if Tony was telling the truth. Was Katie really here? Had the report of her death really been a mistake? She needed to know. Pepper and Tony stayed for two hours, then Pepper had retired to their room. She had a company to run in the morning.

 _~Silver Strings~_

Katherine knew that the nightmares were just part of her atonement. It was waking up that seemed worse to her. Time had past and she couldn't see the light under her eyelids any longer, nor could she hear any voices. She wasn't sure what was worse, waking up alone or waking up with strangers around her. Katherine awoke to the former. The room was dark, save for the lights from the fancy machines and devoid from any sound but the beeps from the heart monitor that was beeping rapidly. When she realized that she was causing the machine to do that, she put her hand over her heart and took deep breaths. She was wearing a dull hospital gown and when she reached to move her hair out of her face, she felt a god awful pinch in her wrist. She finally noticed the IV connected to it. Though it was weirder than the other times. They weren't giving her anything but fluids. Nothing discolored or anything. She pulled the pesky needle, and with just a second passing, an alarm went off from her door. Her heart rate soared as she was startled, and she stood up quickly. She used her pent up energy and blasted the steel door open. She stepped out into a hallway, in a panic.

"Hey! Stop!" An authoritative voice that she remembered shouted. He was a tall, built, blond man, and by his state of dress she could tell that he lived there. However, Kat saw him as a threat and decided that with the current situation it wasn't worth fighting him.

"Where's the dark haired man?" She spoke low and calm. But her calm demeanor had dangerous undertones. She obviously would hurt someone if she didn't get what she wanted. She could feel her fingers tingle and her eyes narrow in warning. She had to find the dark haired man-Stark. "Stark." She clarified at the confused look.

"Stand down." She heard a feminine voice order. When she heard the click of the safety, she turned toward the new threat.

"Nat don't -

But it was too late, one unarmed threat was one thing, but an armed and somewhat hostile threat? She could see in her head what she was capable of, and she didn't like her odds. If she confronted the redhead- Nat, then she'd probably lose control and hurt someone. These people saved her, so she decided to flee. She ran down the hall in the other direction, causing Steve to chase her while Natasha called in the others. The blond was gaining on her, he was lightning fast, meanwhile she hadn't used her feet in over a year. As she could feel herself slowing down, she turned into another hall, with sleeping quarters. She ran through the first room she found and sighed in relief when she found an open balcony door. As she stepped outside, she was startled by the rain that pelted her. It was pouring.

Just as Steve bursts through the door, she lifts her leg over the railing. "Wait, stop!"

She paused at the sound of the voice. "You're not safe with me here." She told him.

"Don't worry about us, come back." Steve soothed, moving closer. "It's not worth this."

"I have to go. Tell him I'm sorry." She lifts her other leg over.

"No, stop-" Steve tried to stop her but it was too late. She let go of the railing. She knew it was going to hurt, but she had to be on her own. She could hear screams from below her and could feel the rain continue to pelt her body as she braced herself for the ground.

But then it never came, she could feel herself being encased in metal arms, and looked up to see glowing eyes. "I was already on my way Kat, you didn't have to get so dramatic."

He _sounded_ like the dark haired man, but what was he?

"Stark."

"I usually go by Tony, but yeah." He looked away from her and flew her to the balcony, which was now empty.

"Yeah, I got her." Tony says, presumably to his comms.

Stark retracted his helmet, and shock took over. He looked so much different, the non gelled hair, the goatee, and the semi serious look on his face. His face was enough to remember his presence in her life. Her adoptive older brother, the one who claimed her as family when her own family didn't even bother.

"Tony." She spoke softly.

* * *

 **I'm not sure about this story yet. I may need a beta, but for now I think it's okay. Katherine is awake and confused, and more will be revealed about the ten years that she spent away.**

 **Tell me your thoughts.**


	2. Chapter 2

Silver Strings

Chapter Two

Back Against the Wall

She moved closer without thinking, she reached out and nearly touched his face before pulling her hand back. This was too weird. "Sorry. I just thought I'd never see you again."

"Same here." Tony said, "Only I thought you were dead for ten years."

Katherine wasn't going to get into that story now, "Sorry about the mess." She apologized, looking down the hall where she blasted the door off its hinges.

"Well, you've always been a little dramatic." Tony gave her a wry smile.

"Is there somewhere we can talk?" Katherine asked, her hair dripping of water and clothes wetting the floor.

"I'll let you know after you get into dry clothes." Tony ordered. He pointed to the room across from them. "I set that bedroom up for you. You can shower if you need to and there's clothes in there for you."

She nodded, looking at him for a few extra seconds then turning into the room behind her. The shower was cold and eye opening. It was soothingly warm and the shower head was amazing. It was more than enough to make her forget about the cold and uncomfortable showers that she had taken for years at the numerous HYDRA compounds she lived in. It was a luxury that she hadn't known that she missed. She was so overwhelmed with the thought of freedom that she wasn't really convinced this was real. This was not a comfortable shower and Tony Stark was not in the other room. She was not in the Avengers Tower and she was still asleep in the cradle, with an impossibly elaborate dream. Just the thought of it was making her heart race.

She clutched at her heart desperately and slid to the bottom of the shower. She let the water run over her body while she sobbed quietly. She pulled her legs into her chest and swiped the wet, dark hair off her face. She just wanted this dream to be over, it was cruel and painful. When she was sure that she was all cried out, she stood up and turned off the faucet. She grabbed the robe off to the side wall and slipped it on. She towel dried her hair in the mirror and looked at her reflection.

She was alive. She had survived HYDRA, but with what? What was left of her? She'd lost everything. Her mother, father, even Mitchie, her younger brother. She also knows what she's done, those people that she killed. Did her saviors know that she was a killer? How could they be okay that? To let a stranger and murderer into their home? What, because Stark used to know her? Because he certainly didn't know her anymore. With her eyes puffy and red, she dabbed at them with a cold, wet towel. When she exited the bathroom, she had wrapped the robe around tighter, wary about stepping into a dark room. "Any lights?" She mumbled to herself. Immediately, the lights flickered on. Raising an eyebrow, Kat continues into the room. It didn't really bother her that Tony's home was mostly voice activated.

As Tony said, there was a long sleeved henley on the bed, as well as brand new underwear, a bralette and a pair of thin sweats. After she dressed, she walked over to the dresser and tried towel drying her hair. In the midst of her drying, she heard a firm knock on the door. She flinched, hating the tone of the knock. She opened the door quickly and relaxed her face. It was a tall brunette with a 'no bullshit' look on her face.

"I'm here to escort you to the common room." She informed her.

After a once over of the woman, Kat nodded and the woman turned around and gestured for her to follow. Kat followed behind the woman onto the hallway floor, which was freezing cold. She had no shoes on her feet, and thought maybe Tony forgot to get her shoes. Kat ignored the floor and turned her gaze to the woman in front of her. She was dressed smartly in a white collared shirt with black pinstripes and a black midi skirt and paired this with a pair of black pumps. Her hair was placed in a tight and pretty updo, and she looked like the picture perfect assistant. But her posture and demeanor spoke volumes against it. This woman wasn't exactly assistant material, considering the fact that she seemed to be so much more than a schedule organizer.

She noticed that they were slowing down once they got toward a more wide open space. When the room came into view, she was met by five incredibly tense Avengers. Some were standing, some were sitting but most of them seemed on edge. And with good reason, Kat reminded herself. The silence in the room made Kate curious, so she opened up her mind to touch theirs.

Tony had images in his mind, a short memory of hers and her parents' joint funeral. Kat winced at the thought. The only ones in attendance being Peggy Carter, The Starks, Edwin Jarvis, a younger Sharon Carter with her parents, and Charles Xavier.

The famous Captain America was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt.

She looks terrified. She must know that we have her file.

The redhead that the Captain had called Nat was staring at her in contempt. Kat didn't have to look into her mind to know what she was thinking. Kat knew that she was dangerous. And the woman had every right to be cautious and wary of her.

The tall muscular man with the long blonde hair, presumably Thor, was very confused, and Kat realized it was because of the quick briefing Tony might have given them about who she was.

The shorter dirty blonde man looked tired, and he was struggling to interpret the information that Tony had given him.

The man with the curly dark brown hair and glasses was Dr. Banner and she knew this much because she pretty much idolized him since she was seven. He was rubbing his tired, brown eyes and the only thought he had was of the image of her face as the machine reanimated her body. He was intrigued, but yet he felt sorry for her.

"Have we all been cleared as non-threatening?" Tony quipped. He must have noticed how her eyes shifted around the room. Now that she was caught, she thought it'd be best that she shut the voices out of her head. She took a deep breath and imagined a large steel door slamming shut. She winced at the feeling, but it was the only way to keep the the voices out.

"I don't mean anyone harm. People skills haven't really been a thing for me in a long time." Kat explained, avoiding speaking of Hydra.

When no one says anything, Kat decided to address the elephant in the room, "You had the chance to kill me, but you brought me here. I want to know why."

"Don't be ridiculous." Tony scoffed. Wasn't it obvious that he would do anything for her, because she had represented the little sister that he always wanted? Including breaking her out of an evil organization like Hydra?

Kat didn't take those words the way he hoped. "The signature from Strucker's mind had gone cold in the facility. He had to be gone for a least twenty-four hours. That's all the information I can offer you."

"We didn't bring you here to be useful to us. We saved you." Steve spoke.

"Let's not ignore the fact that she is of use." Nat added pointedly.

Kat ignored the comment from the female assassin and eyed Captain Rogers once more, appraising the man that her mother knew. Like her, her mother was a mutant. Only she didn't age very fast. She had been alive for nearly two hundred years before she died. She had seen a lot, but seeing the transformation of their greatest war hero and knowing him, was something that her mother often bragged about.

"Did I deserve to be saved? I know you have my file." Kat's eyes casted downwards. "Some of those things I did without hesitation."

"You're more than what I read on that file." Tony insisted.

"Wanna bet?"

"Give me a goddamn break, Katherine!" Everyone besides Katherine raised their brows in shock. They had never seen Tony so frustrated before.

"You need to let me go, Tony. I'm not her anymore." Katherine folded her arms. That wasn't entirely true though. "I'll help you find Strucker. You have my word, if that means anything to you."

~~Silver Strings~~

"Pepper?" Kat spotted the Strawberry Blonde in the kitchen first. She wouldn't have known who she was until she had actually looked at her.

The first time that Kat had met Virginia Potts was in the lobby on the day of her job interview. Kat did what she did to all the candidates, she picked her brain in the elevator. Pretty much, that's how the interview was conducted. For a year, she had been Tony's intern (because Tony had the bright idea to employ a fifteen year old to manage his life for free) and now that she was going to MIT after the summer was over, she had the honor of picking her older, more sophisticated, replacement ( aka Tony saw his time too precious to interview his own PA).

Pepper was both sweet and sassy, and wasn't going to take shit from a sixteen year old in an elevator. Not even Tony Stark's intern/self-adopted little sister. Pepper wasn't like the rest, she dressed completely professional. No tight skirt, her boobs were hidden beneath a shirt that was exactly her size. She didn't kiss anyone's ass or step on anyone's toes, and that's why she was perfect.

Pepper remembered that day, walking beside Katherine to the Office of the CEO and owner of Stark Industries, Tony Stark.

"I like her," Kat had said to Tony seriously, as she flitted carelessly to his large oak desk.

"Well, that's good enough for me. Welcome to Stark Industries, Miss-"

Kat gutted him with her elbow as she quickly murmured, "Miss Potts."

"Miss Potts, right."

Pepper looked shocked, she was sure there was more to it. "Wow, okay. Thank you for the opportunity."

And for the rest of the summer, Pepper and Kat spent a lot of time together, as she coached her on the enigma of that was Tony Stark. Though, dealing with Tony was more of something that you learn on the job, Pepper learned.

But when the brunette was in a car crash with both parents, presumed dead, Pepper was at a loss.

Standing in front of her now was nothing short of a miracle. "Katherine." Pepper breathed. There were obvious differences from the sixteen year old that she once knew. Her hair was much longer than she was used to, and straighter. Her doe eyes looked less innocent and more jaded. Her lips were fuller and her curves had become more pronounced. She was obviously a woman now, and had been through a lot.

Instinctively, Pepper did something surprising. She hugged her softly, and let loose the feelings that she had been holding in since Tony told her that she was alive.

Although Pepper felt and smelled familiar, Kat could not ignore the voice in her head.

Subdue.

Subdue.

Subdue.

Her mind told her. Within moments, Kat had gotten the women off her and against the wall, with her arm against her throat.

Kat's face momentarily registered shock at her actions, before Tony tried grab her in a headlock and failed, as she grabbed him by his arm and flipped him over. This time she was grabbed by Cap, who threw her against the wall and regarded her as she did Pepper. Kat calmed down and stared at the scene she had caused. Pepper was staring at her a little spooked, then concerned as she looked at her boyfriend. Tony stood up slowly, and Kat stared at the ground. That was how livid he was. Tony gently grabbed Pepper's elbow as he tugged her towards the elevator to their floor.

"Tony, I-" Kat's voice trembled with remorse.

"Save it." His snapped, causing her to flinch. They went inside the elevator and the door closed instantly.

By now, Steve had let her go and while his face showed understanding, it was also firm. He wanted her to explain. But how could she? She had hurt a civilian! And Pepper nonetheless! Tony obviously cared a great deal for her the way he reacted. And then she hurt him too.

"I've seen this before, you know." Steve told her. "My best friend, worked for Hydra. He tried to kill me a few times."

"Your best friend, James Buchanan Barnes?" Kat had known about him from the stories, but Hydra? How did a man like that work for Hydra?

"Yes. But I suppose now he'd be known as The Winter Soldier." Steve folded his arms as he leaned on the breakfast bar.

Winter Soldier ...

Winter Soldier ..

Winter Soldier .

Soldier was what they called him or Asset. It seemed that he wasn't a person, more like a possession. Or an attack dog, though he was much more graceful than that at killing. He trained her defensively at first, making her rely on her body to defend herself, rather than to use her mutation. Hydra prided themselves on having the best, and she would be what they wanted. And when he was sure that she could defend herself from any attack, he taught her offensive attack combos.

He was impressed by how fast she learned, and grateful. His superiors were relentless and any kind of inadequacy was not tolerated.

But when they were alone, her eyes were curious and intrusive. She didn't like mystery, and she wanted to know everything about her trainer. He was strong and brawny, and completely intimidating with his robotic arm.

He ignored her stares for weeks, but one day, he just snaps.

He had backed her into a corner and trapped her with his hands. She could get out of his hold, no doubt, he trained her. But it wasn't about that, she had wanted this reaction from him. She wanted to know that he wasn't just a mindless robot that obeyed orders when engaged.

"Who are you?"

Her question bothered him, deeply. She could tell, the way his eyes disarmed, although physically, he still held her between the wall.

"Really?" He could tell that it was an extension of the first question, and not irritation from his lack of answer. He was annoyed, because she dared to ask him something he didn't know himself, dared to screw with his mind. He glared at her coldly. Enough to make her flinch.

Then she stared back at him in determination, deciding to be unafraid by his attempt to scare her. He raised his eyebrow at her, then decided that she wasn't worth his time. He rolled his eyes and let her go. Irritated by his abrupt exit, she hastily took her fresh clothes and went straight for the women's showers, in attempt to forget her instructor with the blue eyes.

Blue eyes which were darker than the ones she was staring into right now. Kat saw what the man was waiting for, but she wasn't going to share the memory she had just seen. It was much too personal. She would have to find out more. "If I knew him, I don't remember."

"That's fine. I don't expect you to." Kat knew he didn't believe her, but she was glad that he left her alone about it.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I remembered Pepper as soon as I saw her. She was always kind and we were friends. I would never hurt her, or Tony." Kat explained, needlessly.

"Tony knows that. But I think you both need a bit more time." Steve helped.

Kat nodded and retreated back to her room, because it seemed that no one was willing to punish her more than she was punishing herself.

~~Silver Strings~~

Kat didn't leave her room for two days. And for those two days, she spent time trying to build on the bits of memories that she didn't want. But she tried anyway. She wanted to remember what it was like to be Katherine Silver. The treatments attacked the frontal lobes in her brain and scattered her long term memories. And putting those memories back together was a pain, she wasn't sure which can ones fit and which ones were horribly wrong.

Kat remembered a little more about Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier. She remembered their tense sparring sessions and how twice she returned to her bunk with broken fingers. She remembered his secret stares when they were alone together. She didn't see him doing it, but she could feel his eyes on her. He hated her questions, he disliked talking in general. But she knew that those questions would get the wheels turning his brain. Hydra messed with her memory, but she was always knew that. Who she worked for. Whereas Bucky knew nothing, nothing but the fact that Hydra gives the orders and he was expected to follow them.

She didn't eat, and she only slept when she was too exhausted to keep her eyes open. She only managed to get herself in the shower a few hours ago. She didn't worry about the constant visitors, she had told JARVIS that her room was on temporary lockdown. Tony was the only one who could override that order, but he was probably still pissed, and probably didn't care either way. He crossed her mind quite a few times in her isolation. Here and in captivity. He was frequently in her memories, so it was hard not to think about the genius. Tony was her best friend.

Best friend.

Practically family.

Kat sighed heavily. She had fucked up so bad with him. He saved her and trusted her in his home with his teammates. He had started to date Pepper (when had that started anyway?), and she was obviously on Tony's list of important people. And not to mention that now Pepper was probably pissed at her (if not terrified).

After a good pep talk, she finally convinced herself to ask Tony for forgiveness. Her door opened up without her having to say anything. She was even more surprised to see that Natasha was at the other side of the door. She composed her reaction to her appearance and looked Natasha in the eyes.

"Katherine." Natasha said, her tone was casual but her eyes were less guarded.

"Natasha, right?" She looked up at her cautiously.

"Right." She nodded. She noticed that Natasha was more at ease. "We need you."

Kat nodded, following the redhead down the corridor. She took a calming breath as she felt thoughts trying to push themselves in. The more she shut it out, the worse her brain felt. Bitterly, she wished that she had access to the drugs Hydra administered to her when the voices tried to push their way in. Now she had to shut the door on them painfully. It always hurt her when she did that. Once she was clear, she tried her best to remember her way back to her room. This place was a labyrinth and she didn't want to get lost. Natasha did talk to her a little this time. They spoke a bit about the mission that they were on when they found her.

"Did you get Burkov?" Kat needed to know. He had some particularly important genetic information that Hydra stole.

"Burkov is dead. But we have his briefcase." Natasha states with a small triumphant smirk. It dimmed a little. "Any idea what's in it?"

"Before they put me back in cryo, they were working on a serum to create their own mutant. That briefcase holds DNA of four alpha-level mutants, including myself." She explained, frowning at the thought of what they wanted to with it.

Natasha and Kat rounded the last corner and ran into Bruce and Tony. Bruce gave Tony a look and both Natasha and Bruce spoke to each other quietly while walking away from the pair.

"Tony." Kat's arms were shrugged in defeat and she fumbled with her fingers. She had always done this subconsciously when she was guilty about something. Being around Tony was bringing back some parts of her sixteen year old self that even she doesn't recognize. "I know you don't trust me right now, but I want to work on it. I need your help, because I have no one else."

Tony sighs, "Stop manipulating me. You've been doing that since you were a kid."

Kat cracked a small smile. "That's not how I remember it." Tony opened up his arms. Kat walked into them warily. She hadn't remembered what it was like to hug. She slowly wrapped her arms around Tony. "Something is really different about your hugs."

"Admittedly, I've been a little out of practice." Tony steps out of the hug awkwardly and heads down the hallway that lead to the conference room that he and Bruce named the Bat cave.

"So what's going on?" Kat asked as she followed Tony into their central hub. There was a large computer, a round table, and a large virtual world map up in the middle of the room. Steve was in there, Bruce and Natasha were speaking, Thor and Clint were talking animatedly about something. When Steve saw Kat and Tony approaching, he got up and immediately took the lead.

"Do your thing." Tony explained in her ear.

"My thing? What's my ..." Oh.

"What do you know, Katherine?"

"Yeah, locations of hideouts, secrets ... at this point, anything is helpful." Clint added. Natasha scoffed, that was an understatement.

After thinking for a moment, Kat said, "I know of six total. Two in the U.S. and four spread around the globe. But only two come to mind that Strucker could have gone." She circled Coburg in Germany, "This one is quiet and remote, and he has recruits there. And in Sokovia as well." She circled the remote spot in the woods that she remembered the old castle stood. "But these locations are heavily guarded and armed. You're gonna need all hands on deck. Their soldiers, they train for attacks. They have drills. They trained me for a few of them."

"Is that an invitation?" Tony's lips ghosted a smirk.

"Well you're the one who rolled out the red carpet, I'm just walking the walk." She matched his wit, smirking back at him.

"We'll go to Coburg first." Steve nodded at Kat. "Meet me in the training room in ten. You too, Nat." Kat raised her eyebrows in surprise as she watched the soldier leave the room.

Well okay, then.


End file.
